Folding table



' FOLDING TABLE F.iled oct. le. 194e 2 lshems-sh-Qef i L nu i' Il il," I

x INVENToRs I sow/1m u/rz @numana/.LEN wams mme/MH ATTORNEY PatentedJune 9, 1942 l FOLDING TABLE Edwin R. Lutz, Knoxvill e, Tenn., andEdward M.

Allen and Thomas W. Darrah, New York, N. Y. Application October 16,1940, Serial No. 361,368 2 Claims. (Cl. 311-83) This invention relatesto furniture construction and more particularly to new and usefulimprovements comprising a sturdy and compact foldable utility piece,such as a stool or folding table and the like.

An object of the invention is to produce a foldable furniture piecewhich is suited to quantity manufacture, especially in wood, comprisinga minimum number of parts arranged in pairs for simplicity in productionassembly, andv having collapsible or fold-up means enabling the legsthereof to swing upwardly into close tting parallel position with theunderneath surface of a top piece and between batten or cleat stripsemployed as supporting means for the legs.

Another object is to produce a folding table which may havespring-actuated legs adapted to open automatically when starting theunfolding of the table, whereby the legs quickly attain their normaluse.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention relates tothe new construction and combination of parts arranged according to thenovel principles and mode of operation and assembly as herein explained,as well as shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferredform or examples of the invention, with its several uses and advantages,wherein:

Figures 1 and 2V show theV table in fully open position, the two viewsbeing takenY at right angles to each other.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged detailed view of the table in open position,being a section on the line 3 3.

Figure 4 shows the table in partially closed position, that is, both legpairs are swung into parallel aligned position in a plane common to allfour legs, preliminary to being completely folded, as in the next view.

Figure 5v is an underneath view and Figure 6 an edge view of the tablefully collapsed and folded up ready to be stored out of the way.

Figures 7 and 8 show sectional views on a larger scale of modied formsof the table having spring-actuated legs to facilitate unfolding thetable into operative or standing position, and Figure 3 may also bereferred to in this connection.

Referring further to the drawings, a top piece 2 provides a supportingsurface and it can be of any suitable shape and form so as to serve as atable, a stool, or other piece of furniture. Batten strips or cleats arearranged in pairs and secured in parallel position to the underneath4side fully open position and ready for of the top piece 2. One pair ofcleats 3 and 4 are placed at one side of the top piece and another pair`5 and B are placed on the other side thereof. The two cleats of eachpair or set are spaced apart just enough to receive a pair of legs aslater explained.

The two inner cleats 4 and 6 of each spaced pair is provided with agroove 8. Each groove 3 extends from endV to end of its cleat but isclosed at each end so that the groove forms a straight track formedlongitudinally in each batten or cleat piece. The grooves are formedpart way into the cleats and deep enough to act as tracks for guidingpins later described but do not out through to form slots which wouldweaken or reduce the stiiness or rigidity of the cleats. Each cleat 4and 6 has its groove 8 facing the outside non-grooved cleats 3 and 5,

Four table legs are arranged in pivoted pairs of the cross or X-type andare mounted in operative relation with the four cleats. One pair ofcross' legs 9 and I I] are carried between one cleat pair 3, 4, Whileanother pair of cross legs II and I2 are carried between the other cleatpair 5, 6. The cross legs are pivotally connected in pairs between theirends by a pivot pin I3 to form the X-type leg assembly. This pvot I3 maybe placed above the center of theV legs so that their shorter portionsare above the pivot so as to provide a little Wider spread of the legson` the floor than at the upper ends thereof.

The upper end of each outside leg 9 and IIf is hingedly attached at oneend of its respective non-grooved cleat 3 and 5 by a'screw I5 or othersuitable pivot means. This arrangement hinges or pivotally mounts thetop end of each leg 9 and II to swing on the pivots I5 so as to foldthese two legs against the top piece 2 and alongside their supportingcleats 3 and 5.

The upper ends of each of the other two legs Ill and I2 have guide pinsI6 anchored therein and projecting from the side of the legs into thegrooves 8. Thus the upper ends of the two inside legs Iii and I2 areslidably mounted on their respective cleats 4 and 6 in order that theaxis of the guide pins I6 can be brought into alignment with the axis ofthe pivot I5.

A cross piece or stretcher bar I'I has its ends anchored to the twoinside legs I0 and I2. This stretcher is located near the upper end ofVthe legs proximate the guiding pins I6 to hold said legs and pins inoperative alignment for smooth sliding action back and forth alongsidethe cleats dand Shaving the grooves 8 which face the nongrooved or plaincleats 3 and 5, The stretcher bar I'I holds the guiding pins in placewithin their closed groove tracks 8. The bar I'I is mounted on the edgesof the inside legs II) and I2 which are adjacent to the legs 9 and II,that is, the bar faces toward the legs 9 and II. The stretcher brace I1swings (Figure 4) into aligned position between the two outside legs 9and II.

A recess I8 is formed in the two inside grooved cleats 4 and 6 of adepth equal to the thickness of the bracing stretcher bar I'I.V Thisrecess I8 does not communicate or cut into the grooves which thereforeare left closed in order that the guiding pins I6 may not jump theirtrack or get out of operating position. This arrangement confines thetwo guiding pins I6 within the two grooves 8 and makes a sturdy andfool-proof construction which will not come apart during the tablefolding or unfolding operation,

The two inside legs I and I2 carrying the stretcher bar I'I are readilyslidable from one end of the grooved cleats 4 and 6 to the other endthereof until the axis of each guide pin I6 comes into alignment withthe axis of the fixed pivots or leg hinges I5. When this position of alllegs s reached they are all aligned in a common plane (Figure 4) andthen may be folded downwardly into collapsed position (Figures and 6)against the underneath surface of the top piece 2. In this finalposition, the stretcher bar I1 comes to rest in the recess I8 flush withthe outer surface of each cleat 4 and 6.

Inasmuch as the recess I6 does not interrupt or communicate with thegroove 8, it follows that the guiding pins I6 are confined in saidgrooves and cannot be displaced therefrom. The brace I'I across the twoinner legs II] and I2 tie them together and hold their guiding pins I6in axial alignment during sliding action so that pins do not bind in thegrooves 8. Thus the table easily folds into final position (Figures 5and 6) by simply taking a hold of the lower ends of the open legs(Figure l) and swinging them together (Figure 4), whereupon all fourlegs are then swung downwardly into final collapsed position, asaforesaid. The table is readily opened by reversing this operation untilthe guiding pins I6 come to rest at the far ends of the grooves 8opposite the two hinge pivots I5.

A modied form of the pivotal leg construction is shown in Figure 7 (inso far as the leg pivots I3 heretofore described are concerned) whichprovides positive and quick leg opening operation. A cylindrical socketor recess is axially formed in the adjacent faces of each cross leg 9and I0, as well as in legs II and I2, as will be understood. A coilspring 2l is mounted in the aligned sockets 20, with both spring ends 22anchored in apertures extending outwardly from the two sockets 20. Thetwo spring ends 22 hold the two legs adjacent each other. This spring 2Iis set into position with initial torque wound thereinto having anunwinding force sucient to automatically throw the upper end of the twoinside legs III and I2 from one end of the grooved cleats 4 and 6 totheir other ends, that is, from Figure 4 position to Figure l position.In other' words, the unwinding force of the spring 2| facilitates theopening or the unfolding of the table or stool legs so as to make thefurniture piece ready to place upon the floor. It will be noted that thecylindrical'body of the spring 2I, coiled within the two close fittingsockets 2U, not only acts as the pivot for the legs but also as theopening force for sliding the guiding pins I6 in the grooves 8. Inclosing the table, the two legs are swung together as heretoforedescribed which loads the spring 2I for the next automatic unfoldingoperation.

In Figure 8', an automatic quick opening leg is also attained by aspring actuated pivot, but differing in structure from that shown inFigure 7. A pivot pin 24 secures the two cross legs 9 and I0 together inswinging relation and this pin is disposed through axially-alignedbosses formed by an annular groove 25 partway cut into each leg. The.two .annular grooves 25 axially face each other, and a coil spring 26 isconfined within the grooves 25 with the spring ends 21 set into a recessleading outwardly from the bottom end of each annular groove 25. Thespring 26 is set into position with sufficient initial torque woundthereinto as to impart opposite-direction rotation to the two legs 9 andI0 by which they automatically open once the table is partly unfoldedfrom its Figure 6 position to Figure 4 position. Upon reaching thelatter position, the unwinding force of the spring 26 pushes on the legsby driving themI apart to fully open position as in Figure l until theguiding pins I6 stop at the far ends of the grooves 8.

In Figure "I, the coil springs 2I and 26 are shown in dotted lines andmay be referred to as a side view of the table in connection with thedetailed fragmentary views of both modified forms shown in Figures 7 and8.

This invention is presented to ll a need for improvements in a foldingtable. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as wellas changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may andoften do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefitingfrom the teachings of an invention. Hence, it will be understood thatthis disclosure is illustrative of preferred means of embodying theinvention in useful form by explaining the construction, operation andadvantages thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable furniture piece comprising a supporting member such as atop piece serving as a table or the like; parallel cleats secured to theunderneath side of the top piece, two of which are grooved from end toend, and said grooves being closed at their ends and also formed partwayonly into the cleats; two X-type legs having their upper ends pivotallyattached to the ends of two cleats, and two X-type legs carrying guidingpins at their upper ends and slidably retained in the grooves; astretcher bar extending across from one leg to the other leg proximatethe guiding pins to brace said legs in fixed position with each other inorder that the guiding pins slide freely in their grooves, and a recessformed partway into each of the two grooved cleats proximate the endsthereof which carry the pivoted legs, said stretcher bar foldable downinto the recess flush with the cleats simultaneously with the legs whichalso fold between and flush with said cleats.

Z. A foldable furniture piece comprising a supporting member such as atop piece serving as a table or the like, four parallel cleats arrangedin spaced pairs and secured to the underneath surface of the top piece,a groove formed from end to end in one cleat of each pair, each groovefacing the adjacent non-grooved cleat; four legs arranged in pairs ofX-type and carried by the four cleats, one leg of each pair having itsupper end pivotally connected proximate one end of the non-grooved cleatand mounted between it and a recess formed in each grooved cleatinwardly toward but not communicating with said grooves for thereception of the stretcher bar, whereby the legs nest lushly between thecleats with the stretcher bar nesting ushly across said cleats.

EDWIN R. LUTZ.

EDWARD M. ALLEN.

THOMAS W. DARRAH.

